Hand to the Plough

Herbert had a view that his work in Peru was perhaps preparation for his work in retirement! He certainly never slackened in his missionary endeavors.

"After Dr Money had visited us a few times in Palmerston and we had talked on various topics, one of them being Graham's parents in Christchurch, a few things fell into place for him. After hearing that Graham's mother was Gloria Best, he said "You know, I am sure I know your mother - I taught her in Christchurch when she was in a class of girls aged about 15 or 16." Then he added "And they all cried when I left!" Dr Money was then about 22 years old. We thought "Ha! we've got Nana now. She will never admit to crying because a teacher left school. How soft."

We could hardly wait to put the question "Did you happen to know a teacher by the name of Herbert Money?" "Herbert Money!" she replied. "Oh, he was lovely! He had brown wavy hair and he used to read us such wonderful stories." Dr Money said that he was worried about his "reading aloud" and he used this class on which to practise his reading skills.

In the providence of God, this relationship was used by Him over 50 years later to bring Nana to Himself. She had always been antagonistic to Christian things although raised in a God fearing and church going family.

When finally confined to bed because of terminal pancreatic cancer Herbert Money used to visit her every Tuesday and read the Scriptures and pray with her. There were other influences also happening at the same time but isn't it amazing how these contacts bear fruit so many years later?!

Dr Money rang Graham one day and said "Your Mother is a Christian now." We had prayed for Graham's parents for decades but, like Rhoda when she heard Peter at the door, we could hardly believe it was true. Graham went to Christchurch to visit his Mother (taking Rebecca who was 4). When he returned he said "The old girl has been converted alright!" The change in her was amazing. She was confined to bed for the rest of the year until she was taken Home but she became a calm, quiet, kind patient, dying peacefully at home and ministered to to the end by the faithful Herbert.